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A Change of Mind
The alteration in the Earth's magnetic field made the site of Menasor's doomsday device excessively easy to pinpoint, as it is the new location of Earth's north magnetic pole: Gakona Alaska, where he has suborned and radically enhanced the High Altitude Active Auroral Research Program. Menasor is not concerned. He is ready to defend his work if necessary, and very soon it won't matter. His gigantic sword is rammed into the ground near the gatehouse while Menasor kneels to make a few last-minute adjustments to the crackling, thrumming machines attached to each of the radio antennae. Fat electrical cables and magnetic hoses feed back into a roughly hewn bunker which contains, no doubt, the stolen replacement parts for the Large Hadron Collider. Brilliant, unnatural auroras swirl and twist in the sky overhead in response to the strange scalar energies being released by the HAARP array. "So here's something I don't quite get." Astrotrain muses over the local broadband as he cuts effortlessly through the atmosphere from orbit. Sure alot of other Decepticons can do the same thing nowadays, but he's been able to do it SO much longer, and while defying the laws of physics by being all agile and graceful despite looking like a flying brick! His cargo capacity probably has something to do with his importance in there somewhere too. "Cybertron's startin to come back to life again. Energon's flowin, the deep furnaces are back online and such. What the frag do we care about -this- mudball anymore?" <> Roadbuster transmits as his rugged battlewagon mode rolls across the terrain. <> He grumbles. Menasor's plan might be brilliant, but it's got one big flaw; Once the field flipped to it's new position, he's given himself away. All a gun-toting mech has to do is follow his compass due north to find the source of the trouble, which is exactly what Roadbuster is doing. The dramatic lightshow in the sky is a sure-fire clue he's getting close! The increased auroral activity is one of the reasons that Fusillade super-cruises to the nearby airspace. Flirting with the edges of Russian airspace while admiring the towers of excited oxygen ions, she does the aerial equivalent of pacing. <> she rumbles over local broadband of someone other than Astrotrain, before breaking wide to join the chatty triplechanger. <> The Lancer barrel-rolls and accelerates to full military thrust, jetting away to let Astrotran puzzle out if she was serious or not. After what happened the last time Menasor was mucking with the forces of nature, Sandstorm opted to take the land approach this time. Good thing he's got easily deployable tire spikes for traction, and snow and ice is otherwise little problem for his suspension. As is he's cruising right along with the big armored ... whatever vehicle Roadbuster is. Seriously, that's hardly a jeep! He does peer up at the colors flashing across the skies for a few moments though. "Y'know, if it wasn't totally and unnaturally wrong, that'd be rather pretty to watch." VH-64 Gazette flies along above Roadbuster. Deluxe Autobots ride again!!...until Sandstorm has to spoil it by butting into the picture that is. Aw well. Whirl weaves from side to side in wide banking weave above the pair of ground vehicles. Perhaps because the flight path lets him cover a wider area, giving his strictly-average detection gear that much more range. Possibly to reduce his own travel speed and avoid pulling ahead. Maybe because he thinks the constant shifts in direction will help foil any enemy anti-air efforts. Yes, all of those are posibilities...but most likely the real reason is because he just doesn't like to fly straight. Menasor cocks his head as his antennae pick up the approach of Cybertronians towards the new pole. He stands and spreads out his arms, hands open. "WELCOME TO MY TRIUMPH. YOU BEAR WITNESS TO THE END OF THE EARTH CAMPAIGN." By no coincidence the Decepticons have been talking about this very thing, but Menasor has decided to do something about it. "I ONLY REQUIRE A FULL ALIGNMENT OF THE MAGNETOSPHERE, AND MY SCALAR NEUROELECTRIC DISRUPTOR WILL SOLVE THIS QUANDARY ONCE AND FOR ALL. NO LIVING THING ON THIS PLANET MORE ADVANCED THAN A CORAL POLYP WILL EVEN REMEMBER OUR CONFLICT." He raises his hands to the sky, lightning licking down out of the aurora and playing between his fingertips. "THERE WILL BE PEACE ON EARTH. I WILL AT LAST REST FROM MY LABORS AND NO LONGER HAVE TO BE MENASOR." Fusillade says, "... wouldn't that go for him, and US, too?" Decepticon Shuttle has a tendency to just bully his way through bad aerial weather when it happens. Probably because he's got the mass to back it up, and probably partly comes from that Decepticon (over?)confidence in the air. "I still think we oughta just get Cybertron back online and blast off and look for other races ta mulch. If the Autobots love this fraggin world and the squishies so much they can stay here." He watches as lightning lances down to where the supersized warrior is standing, taking a moment to study the scene below through his sensors. "Whelp, looks like we found `im. Frankly I'm thinkin these combiner teams are a lil unstable lately." With that, he suddenly banks away from Fusillade, looping down and orbiting about the combiner for a few passes before he calls out, "Hey `stache face! Not that I give two frags about this mudball either, but ain't you ever thought it ain't a good idea to, oh, I dunno...NOT DO WHAT THE BOSS SAYS? Ya know that bein big and impressive won't save ya if he decides to cannon ya into next week for this, right?" Astrotrain says, "I bet it's a prerequisite if yer gonna be a leader of a combiner team to be fragged in the braincase." Fusillade says, "SHUT UP" Boomslang says, "No offense, right?" Astrotrain says, "Nah, plenty of offense!" Fusillade says, "You take that back, lead for brains!" Astrotrain says, "Look at the bright side Fusi. Maybe the little experiment you were in on wasn't successful cause y'all weren't fragged enough in the head." Astrotrain says, "Or maybe too fragged even by their standards. Who knows!" Fusillade says, "You should have stopped while you were ahead!" Astrotrain says, "Hel-LO? Menasor? Lightning? Lots of bad things happening? Big guy with CANNON not too happy with him? Or we playin Musical chairs with our attention spans again?" Fusillade says, "I'm sorting out my presentation format, settle down!" As the electrified and energized air sizzles around her sensors, Fusillade's wingtips and vortex generators begin to to glow with cyan-hued St. Elmo's Fire. "Oh boy oh boy," she says out loud instead of into the crackling radio, "That sounds bad! REAL bad!" She descends as well, circling around Menasor counterclockwise to Astrotrain, wings whisking over the wind-scoured permafrost. "MENASOR! You will be exposed as well! You really intend to do this TO YOURSELF TOO?!" Astrotrain says, "Of course he does. Don't most of the Stunticons hate themselves anyway?" Astrotrain says, "Course I would too if I LOOKED LIKE AN AUTOBOT! Bwahahaha." Fusillade says, "Hahahahha!" Roadbuster's huge wheels crunch over the rocky terrain, following the coursing streamers of super-charged light north. The ionizing atmosphere is pretty enough, but Roadbuster isn't here to sight-see. He crests a sharp rise, and suddenly in he valley below is revealed Menasor's towering form, lighting streaking down from the sky to wreath around the combined form of the Stunticons. "Stay sharp, Wreckers!" Roadbuster emits, mentally preparing himself to wade into the ensuing battle. "This is going to get real rough real QUICK, but let's let the Decepticon parlay a bit first. I want to know if they'll side WITH or AGAINST that monster before we jump in." Astrotrain says, "Sooo yeah. What's the Boss's official words on Menasor's little playgame here anyway? I'm assumin he doesn't want the world blown up." Astrotrain says, "Though I think it'd be hilarious." Combat Dunebuggy pulls up next to Roadbuster and stops, though keeps the motor running warm for the inevitable charge into yet another world saving foray. The rumble that emits is hard to disconcern if it's him growling at the site of the other two Decepticons buzzing around, or just his engine running to keep from freezing over. "Let's hope Galvatron wants to conquere earth himself bad enough to sic his pack dogs on someone else trying to -destroy- it first," he mutters to the larger Wrecker-vehicle. VH-64 Gazette arcs down like he's crashing, but goes through a tumbling transformation at the last second and ends crouched slightly next to Roadbuster. "Parlay with who, Menasor?" His head turns back and forth, taking in the scene. "Hope they upgraded their vocabulary subroutines..." Whirl transforms into his reckless robot mode. Fusillade says, "It's not on the schedule yet! You know, we could just fly off into space RIGHT NOW, Astrotrain." Astrotrain says, "Protip, so can Galvatron. Into space. AFTER US." Fusillade says, "I'm glad we're on the same page. Let's see what Menasor says first. I think he's pretty serious about going through with this, so get ready to jump him on my mark." A great booming laugh comes out of Menasor, his eyes remaining cold and humorless. "GALVATRON IS TOO DISTRACTED TO STOP ME. HE HAS LOST HIS... FOCUS. ALL OF MEGATRON'S CRUSADE THAT REMAINS IN HIM NOW IS VENGEANCE AND SPITE WITHOUT PURPOSE. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE THIS PLANET WHILE HE IS IN CONTROL. IF I FACE HIM, HE WILL DESTROY ME BEFORE I CAN KILL HIM. BUT IF HE DOES NOT EVEN KNOW WHO I AM, WHO HE IS, IF NOTHING HOLDS SIGNIFICANCE FOR HIM, HE WILL BE AS HARMLESS AS A PROTOFORM. A LONE MADMAN WITHOUT AN IDENTITY, WANDERING A WORLD OF LIVING GHOSTS." He takes up his sword and holds it out towards Fusillade, St. Elmo's fire wreathing the blade. "MYSELF MOST OF ALL. WHEN THE STUNTICONS NO LONGER KNOW EACHOTHER I WILL BE FREE. YOU ATTEMPT TO STOP ME AT PERIL OF YOUR LIVES. I AM THE PEACEMAKER, BUT I WILL NOT SHUN THE SWORD." Astrotrain says, "Oh for the love of...one second." Fusillade says, "Oh. OH." Fusillade says, "That does it." Astrotrain says, "Where the frag's Trypticon when we need him?" Astrotrain says, "WE NEVER HAVE OUR GIANT TYRANNOSAURUS WHEN WE NEED HIM!" Decepticon Shuttle loops away from Menasor as he reaches about with those huge arms of his, lest he get clipped in the process. He listens to the speech, but as is typical of the triplechanger, it goes in one audial port and right out the other. "Awright, frag this." He banks away sharply, approaching a certain ridge where he picked up a certain number of certain ID signatures. And just like that, bold as brass, he transforms and lands right in front of the Autobots, jerking a thumb behind him. "Right! For some STRANGE reason, apparently we're not supposed to be lettin this disgusting mudball of a planet get blown to smeg and back. So you Autobots can be all stupidly heroic like you wanna be." A pause, and then he looks over those present. "....wait, that's -it-? This is all you brought? Where the frag's the Protectobots? The Aerialbots? NOT EVEN A DINOBOT!? WHAT KINDA HEROES ARE YOU!!?" In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode. With a lightning fast flip and twist, Sandstorm lands in his robot mode, ready for action. "A'ight, sword boy, you wanna play like that? FINE! Astrotrain, sick im!" Fusillade flares her engines, and banks hard on one wing, thrust-vectoring exhausts pivoting to whip her around -- her nosecone pointing away from Motormaster. The bomber flies away, thundering right past the line of Wreckers, casting a "What are you waiting for?!" in their direction as she barrels toward the electromagnetic maelstorm sitting right on top of the HAARP Array. For all intents and purposes, the bomber look suicidal, getting a headstart on the oblivion of memory. However, like a WMD version of Br'er Rabbit, she leaps into the electromagnetic briar patch. "Time to break your TOY, Brainiac!" Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer strikes Modified HAARP Array with her GBU-27 attack! As Mernasor finishes his speech, and Astrotrain approaches to state the obvious, Roadbuster transforms, parts clanking into place as the rugged all-terrain vehicle rises up into Roadbuster's imposing robot mode, standing head and shoulders taller than Astrotrain and bristling with weapons. "We brought WRECKERS. It was enough last time, and it'll be enough /this time/, and now we're going to put an end to Menasor's tyranny once and for all." He replies solemnly, his thin optic band brimming with light. He makes a sweeping gesture with his arm, before thundering down the slope of the ridge. "Wreckers, attack! Take him DOWN! Fire at will until there's nothing left to wreck!" He bellows, firing a spread of rockets towards Menasor's position. The rugged jeep becomes the gun-toting Wrecker, Roadbuster! Combat: Roadbuster sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Roadbuster strikes Menasor with his Rocket Rack attack! Combat: You took 7 damage. Sandstorm transforms to robot mode, snow crunching as he remains crouching in the spot though. He pauses for a moment, then looks up at Astrotrain's bulky grey form with a bit of a half-grin. "Who, us?" Digging his fingers into the frozen ground, he retchs loose a large slab of ice and rock, then drops it so its teatering partway over the edge of the ridge, putting one foot on it to hold it there as he stands up. Turns to look fully at Astrotrain again, this time a full smirk across his metallic features. "We ain't heroes... We're Wreckers," he remarks, before pushing off with his other foot. The slab tilts, hits the ground again as he balances on it, and quickly goes careening down down the side of the ridge towards the mad genius gestalt and his doomsday device down below, leaning forward to pick up as much speed as possible in a rather effective imitation of snowboarding. As he comes sledding past he turns, one arm held out one way to keep his balance as he swings the other to point his blaster at the gestalt and opening fire. "Playtime's over, ya big goon... time for a dirt nap! WRECK N RULE!" Combat: Sandstorm sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Sandstorm strikes Menasor with his Emphasis on the dirt! attack! Combat: You took 6 damage. Combat: Sandstorm's attack damages your armor. Whirl raises his hand, the one with the trusty Null-Ray Module attached to the end. "Finally! I was afraid all we'd get to shoot'd be doomsday devices! THIS is more like it!!" But Whirl knows there's not much a null ray will do against something Menasor's size. Instead he adjusts a sliding control on the side and the glow on the end of the module changes from pink to blue. Sighting at the area Roadbuster targetted, Whirl unleashes a stream of blueish energy that he hoses across Menasor's chest and shoulders. The destructive energy seems to linger on everything that it touches. Combat: Whirl strikes Menasor with his Wrecking attack! -3 Combat: You took 5 damage. Decepticon> Astrotrain says, "When he disassembles and we gotta haul this sorry lot back to the Boss, I call dibs on kicking Motormaster in the face. Repeatedly." Fusillade says, "Oh right, that whole incarceration thing." Fusillade says, "This thing really is spread all over the place, I hope these gloryhounds have the sense to HELP work on this thing instead just focusing on tall dark and gruesome here..." Astrotrain says, "I'd suggest having brought one of our own combiner teams, except they have a tendency to GO ROGUE lately." Former Senator Americon says, "Guys, I'm going to try to reason with Menasor! Wish me luck!" Fusillade says, "Try getting inside his cab or an engine or something" "YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY HOPE TO DESTROY THE WHOLE ARRAY BEFORE THE MAGNETOSPHERIC ALIGNMENT," Menasor booms scornfully, rockets bursting in a line along one of his legs and leaving little scorched patches and divots in his armor. "THE MORE YOU ENCROACH THE MORE YOU UNLEASH THE FURY OF THE SCALAR WAVES INTO YOUR OWN CIRCUITRY. THIS DAY IS MINE!" True to his words, the array reacts to the disruption of the building field by Fusillade's bomb blasting a generous chunk of the antenna field into flattened wreckage. The auroras twist and shift, lightning cracks from ground to air and from air to ground, and metallic debris swirls in midair. Sandstorm's boulder crashes into Menasor's chest with a clang, leaving a dent which Whirl exploits with his blasting, but Menasor instead flips open a panel on the wrist holding the sword and punches a button with his other index finger. "ALL YOUR STRENGTH WILL NOT AVAIL YOU AGAINST A FORCE BEYOND YOUR UNDERSTANDING." Astrotrain says, "No no, by all means try to reason with him. That's be funny as smeg." Combat: Menasor misses Whirl with Modified HAARP Array's Disruption Field Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes Sandstorm with Modified HAARP Array's Disruption Field Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily limited Sandstorm's Accuracy! (Blinded) Combat: Menasor strikes Roadbuster with Modified HAARP Array's Disruption Field Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily limited Roadbuster's Accuracy! (Blinded) Combat: Menasor strikes Space-Going B-1R Lancer with Modified HAARP Array's Disruption Field Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily limited Space-Going B-1R Lancer's Accuracy! (Blinded) Combat: Menasor strikes Astrotrain with Modified HAARP Array's Disruption Field Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily limited Astrotrain's Accuracy! (Blinded) Combat: Whirl's attack continues to damage you. Combat: You took 4 damage. Astrotrain says, "Gragh! Fine. New plan. We beat up Menasor, make him break apart then I personally choke Motormaster and MAKE HIM TURN IT OFF." What's that, up in the sky? Is it a plane? Is it Superman? No! It is... a bird! A mechanical bird! Eh. "Fellow Decepticons, fear not! AMERICON is here to save the day!" Americon says as he streaks down towards the combiner. "Menasor!!!" Americon says, attempting to land on his shoulder. "Menasor! Please, do not destroy the Earth! It has America on it, and I like America! I mean, think of all the fun times we had together, like when I became your hat--wait, no that was Abominus. Uh. Well. Look, destroying the Earth is bad, ok?" Americon's robot legs pop out metallic feather-like objects as they and his lower torso split apart, also revealing an eagle head. The arms and robot head join the main body, and his guns convert into tail feathers and rocket launchers. Americon is now a bald eagle! Combat: Robotic Bald Eagle strikes Menasor with his Listen to Reason ? Distract attack! Combat: You took 0 damage. Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Menasor's Agility. (Crippled) Astrotrain covers his optics as the field washes outwards, giving a loud, "GRAGH!" as his vision goes hazy nonetheless. "Oh you big overgrown fragger..." he snarls, pulling out his rifle as the AUtobots rush in with weapons blazing away. He makes a quick adjustment on his own weapon and raises it point towards the big...blurry...thing that he's pretty sure is Menasor. "MOTORMASTER! I'm gonna kick you in the face over and over again till I feel better, and then I'm gonna do it again just for spite!" He fires the weapon on a lower setting that doesn't look all that impressive in the form of a pencil-thin beam that lances out...but it's the metal warping properties of the weapon that he's seeking to make use of here, as whatever it makes contact with, it takes a sizable chunk of molecules and shifts them all six inches to the left. "Just lemme peel that armor off of ya!" Trust me, it works. Combat: Astrotrain strikes Menasor with his Ionic Displacer Rifle attack! -5 Combat: You took 1 damage. Combat: Astrotrain's attack damages your armor. krak-THOOM!!* the single 2000 lb bomb detonates, ripping through one of the control buildings scattered throughout the tremendous array. Menasor's gloating was right: the size of HAARP was overwhelming -- with a multitude of antennae scattered about the entire area, the network was extremely diffuse, making any strike nowhere near as effective against more conventional targets. As her vision goes staticky-white, the bomber locks herself in auto-pilot briefly, bizarre feedback loops tingling against her EMP hardening. <> she barks out as she wildly sprays laser weaponry toward the ground. That, thankfully, is a pretty big target. Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer misses Modified HAARP Array with her Toe-Popping Cherrybomblets (Laser) attack! Whoa! Sandstorm loses a bit of balance when the bizarre energies course about, skidding on his makeshift snowboard and smacking into the side of a tree. Knocking the tree over and knocking him for a loop as well. "Ugh.. that's worse than the hangover I had after the bar brawl session," he murmurs to no on in particular as he shakes his head to clear it, and only partially succeeds in doing so. There's still flickers of distortion in his optical field. "Go blow it out your manifold, motorhead!" he retorts back. "It ain't over until the fat lady sings ... and while her booster section may count as extra large, I don't think Fusillade up there is much of a songbird!" Then snickers a bit to himself. He may be just as reckless and crazy as the other Wreckers, but Sandstorm tends to have a method to his madness. He may of been shooting at Menosar, but the wild ride also got him closer to the freaky ass machinery he's got set up. Popping a pair of his combat knives from their forearm slots, he bolts towards the nearest cluster of machinery while others keep bombarding at Menosar and despite the dizzy feeling in his circuits tries to hack into some of the cables. No need to break the whole thing when it's quicker to cut off the power source, after all. Astrotrain says, "Grrr, he won't be so tough when I've stripped all that tough looking armor off im!" Roadbuster's job is busting heads and blowing stuff up. Preferably stuff that fights back. He doesn't understand Menasor's talk of magnetospheres and and scaler waves is way over his head. He does know that whatever that machine is doing, it's messing with his sensors pretty fiercely. It won't stop him from doing his job, though. He's torn between taking down Menasor and blasting apart Menasor's pretty toys, but there's an easy solution for that; Shoot them both! He racks up a special shrapnel missile into his shoulder-launcher, and lets 'er fly, firing a compact but powerful explosive at Menasor AND his devilish facility. Combat: Roadbuster strikes Menasor with his Shrapnel-Missile Launcher Area attack! Combat: You took 7 damage. Combat: Roadbuster strikes Modified HAARP Array with his Shrapnel-Missile Launcher Area attack! Combat: Sandstorm strikes Modified HAARP Array with his Cutting in attack! Whirl looks back and forth between the big target that is Menasor and the other big target that's the HAARP Array. With all the other Wreckers turning their attention to the device..."Hey! Nobody told me we were switching targets!!" Deep down, Whirl just doesn't want to feel left out. Especially when it comes to shooting at stuff. > Combat: Whirl misses Modified HAARP Array with his Peer Pressure attack! "PRATING FOOL!" Menasor exclaims, swatting at Americon with the flat of his sword. "I DO NOT NEED TO DESTROY THE EARTH. I ONLY NEED TO DESTROY YOUR MIND." A long slice of Menasor's armor crumples and warps as it is shifted out of place by the Ionic Displacer, fusing awkwardly with the armor next to it and leaving a gap behind. Into that gap flies a healthy portion of shrapnel, causing smoke to drift out of the Combiner's chest but not slowing him down. Fighting against the magnetic effects of standing right there among the antenna array, Menasor lurches forward to try to stomp on first Astrotrain, then Roadbuster, reversing the swing of his sword to sweep it towards Sandstorm in an attempt to flick him away from the power feeds to the particle accelerator bunker. Combat: Menasor strikes Robotic Bald Eagle with his Dominating Defense Area attack! -7 Combat: Menasor misses Astrotrain with his Dominating Defense Area attack! -7 Combat: Menasor strikes Roadbuster with his Dominating Defense Area attack! -7 Combat: Menasor misses Sandstorm with his Dominating Defense Area attack! -7 Combat: Whirl's attack continues to damage you. Combat: You took 2 damage. The laser shots plant into the ground alright -- in between the criss-cross of the antennae arrays. Ignorance is most definitely bliss in this case, and the Lancer banks awkwardly to backtrack as she still tries to clear the feedback overwhelming video inputs. She doesn't see the successful efforts of the Wreckers against the array, so contents herself with counting off the seconds that it took to for her to fly away from Menasor. <> She dumps out a slew of dumb bombs. Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer strikes Menasor with her Bombs Area attack! Combat: You took 15 damage. Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer strikes Modified HAARP Array with her Bombs Area attack! Robotic Bald Eagle is crushed under the sword, and somehow manages to stick to the blade even as Menasor swings it around at the other combatants. The only thing that dislodges him is when the sword hits Roadbuster. Americon is scraped off by the Wrecker's body and he lands on the ground. "Okay," he grunts, popping up and flapping his wings awkwardly. "No Mr. Nice Americon! I TRIED negotiating, but NOOO, you had to be a jerkface, Menasor! Now that thing you built... that... whatever... will face the wrath of the AMERICANNON!" Then, Americon transforms into robot mode, unholstering the AMERICANNON and bracing it across his shoulders like an oversized bazooka. He aims it at the HAARP array--at least he thinks he is--and discharges a blast that sends him flying! Americon undergoes a patriotic transformation into his All-American robot mode! Combat: Americon misses Modified HAARP Array with his Americannon attack! Astrotrain does what most Autobots can't do of course, launches himself into the air as Menasor comes sweeping in with his big feet! Jetting a short distance away, he rubs at his optics again, before sighting down his rifle once more at the gestalt's huge form, dialing up his rifle a notch to a slightly higher power setting. "Ya know, part of this is supposed to be the Boss' orders, but I can promise that kickin each of you fraggers in the aft when this is all said and done is gonna be my PERSONAL PLEASURE!" And again that lancing beam stabs out as he aims for Menasor's chestplate, trying to hold a bead long enough on the big figure in an attempt to warp more of that heavy duty armor off. Combat: Astrotrain misses Menasor with his Ionic Displacer Rifle attack! -4 Whirl watches his shot miss the giant HAARP array, then looks to one side and the other to see if anybody noticed. "Oh man!" he exclaims loudly. "That thing has got some SERIOUS armor! My strongest attack was totally innefective!!" Dignity hopefully salvaged, he fiddles with the settings on his weapons module, then turns to point it towards the array one more time. "But that's okay, Wreckers are persistent!" He unleashes a series of laser bolts this time, trying to aim for anything that looks remotely fragile. Combat: Whirl strikes Modified HAARP Array with his Laser attack! Sandstorm pulls his knives out of the cables after hacking away a bit, executing a duck and roll under the swinging sword and diving to the side as the bomber-femme makes another pass and douses the area in explosives. Hmm. Looks back at the main cables, which while damaged seem to be a bit too thick to for him to cut through entirely. Better take to alternate methods before they all get reduced to magnetic rubble. Hopping back to his feet and sprinting away from the bunker, he sprints partway around the bunker, adjusting the settings on his blaster as he does so. As one of the antennaes come back into view around the corner he stops and half-kneels to brace himself, tries to aim at the sensative looking machinery despite the spots still flickering at the edges of his vision, and fires off several controlled bursts of the abrasive ammo. Combat: Sandstorm strikes Modified HAARP Array with his Abrasive Ballistic Burstfire attack! -1 Roadbuster has a brief moment of satisfaction knowing he struck a solid blow to both his enemy and his enemy's super-weapon, but before the slow-moving Wrecker can get out of the way, he's suddenly struck down by Menasor's shining blade. The weapon cuts a deep gash through Roadbuster's thick plating, and had it progressed any deeper it might very well have bifurcated the Wrecker entirely. He is knocked off his feet, and bats his arms at a panick-looking Americon that has suddenly arrived along with the devastating damage to his systems. "The noly fool here is YOU, Menasor! After what happened last time, I'd think you'd realize we've got more than enough firepower here to take you down!" He shouts, and despite his prone position and the huge tear in his armor, the Wrecker fires off a shot from his laser rifle at a nearby outcropping of an antennae or power coupling or whatever it is. Combat: Roadbuster misses Modified HAARP Array with his Assault Laser Rifle attack! Fusillade says, "Good, they're started pounding on the array." Former Senator Americon says, "I dunno, won't the array explode on its own if we blow up Menasor? Like in a videogame I played once?" The antennae are fragile, and Whirl blasts a few of them to pieces, followed by Sandstorm, but there are a lot of them. A lot a lot, stretching over a mile square across the rugged and rocky land. Most of them are still standing, even the one Americon tried to fire the Americannon at and only succeeded in knocking himself over with the recoil. Roadbuster's missile and Fusillade's bunker-busting bombs, on the other hand, do great damage to the makeshift bunker where Menasor has installed the particle accelerator. Green fire rises from the wreckage, and a steadily increasing metallic banging noise. Each bang is accompanied by a blast of violet plasma gouting out of the blasted bunker as the severely damaged particle accelerator starts going haywire. Lightning leaps from antenna to antenna, the aurora so huge and so close that one could reach up and wave one's hands through the lower edge. "NO! YOU WILL NOT TAKE THIS FROM ME!" roars Menasor, outraged almost beyond expression as he runs thunderously to the bunker to try to salvage it just long enough to keep the system running for the magnetospheric alignment. The timer on the panel he's installed on his Breakdown-wrist reads 00:00:00:03:29. But before he can reach the collider bunker, another rolling wave of scalar energy blasts out of the collected antennae, picking him up and causing him to hover into the air, his giant fingers straining towards the bunker and only succeeding in pulling the lid off of it to reveal the burning, clanging muon accelerator. "NO! YOU INCOMPETENTS WILL UNDO IT ALL! I ONLY WANTED TO CHANGE YOUR MINDS! TO FINALLY LAY DOWN MY ARMS AND ENJOY SWEET OBLIVION!" Decepticon> Astrotrain says, "Isn't that cute. He wants his own little personal peace." Combat: Menasor strikes Roadbuster with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes Sandstorm with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes Whirl with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes Astrotrain with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes Americon with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor misses Space-Going B-1R Lancer with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: Menasor strikes himself with Modified HAARP Array's Scalar Neuroelectric Eradicator Warm-Up Area attack! Combat: You took 0 damage. Combat: You can't seem to think straight... Combat: Whirl's attack finally wears off. Fusillade says, "Ehn, now it comes out!! WHOA get outta the way!!!!!!!!!" Fusillade says, "WHOA the colors!" "Hey Menasor!" Astrotrain quips as he sees the gestalt frantically running to the bunker, satisfied that it looks like he's having some trouble now. "Here's a hint, just cause you decided to go and feel all emo, you don't get to sit down and say 'I QUIT!' The Boss gets to decide that. Look at the bright side, maybe he'll cannon the whole lot of ya when this is done and over with!" And then just like that the wave of mind-warping...waves washes over him, blurring his vision, making everything look like flying pigs and birds and Autobot symbols! "And furthermore..." He continues without missing a beat. "NOBODY OUT CRAZY'S ASTROTRAIN! COME HERE YOU STUPID LEPRECHAUN, I'M GOING TO CATCH YOUR LUCKY CHARMS!" And just like that he's shooting off randomly at what he thinks is Menasor! Or maybe it's his device, or maybe it's totally someone else! Combat: Astrotrain sets his defense level to Protected. Combat: Astrotrain's Disruptor attack on Modified HAARP Array goes wild! Combat: Astrotrain strikes Menasor with his Disruptor attack! Combat: You took 4 damage. Former Senator Americon says, "NYEEE where did all these russians come frommmm!?!" Space-Going B-1R Lancer, Tupolev T-160 Blackjack now. Astrotrain says, "And I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more. Just to be the mech who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door!" Astrotrain says, "Domo Arigato Mr Roboto!" Astrotrain says, "Standin, on your mama's porch! You told me it would last forever! Oh the way you held my hand, I knew it was now or never! Those were the best days of my life!" Boomslang says, "...why is the line for the spacebridge so long?" Americon slams up against a tree after firing his cannon, and once he manages to collect himself, he stows it back into subspace. However, the mind warping scalar energy washes over him, and Americon gasps in horror as the entire world is suddenly bathed in red colors! And everywhere he sees Stalins, Lenins, and Gorbachevs running around, cackling at him in high pitched voices. "NYEERRGH! Where did you people come from!? SHUT UP I am trying to save America in America IN AMERICA!!!" he screams, his shaking arm aiming at a blood red Menasor. But can he focus enough to shoot him, and not someone else? Combat: Americon's Red White and Blue Lasers attack on Menasor goes wild! Combat: Americon strikes Astrotrain with his Red White and Blue Lasers attack! Astrotrain says, "Gnnngh." Astrotrain says, "Mensaor do something something to my head thingy." Former Senator Americon says, "STOP SPEAKING IN COMMUNESE!" Sandstorm gwahs as he's hit by the weird-ass energy wave, doing no damage but sending most of his systems into a fit of electronic hysteria. ".. Gaaaaah. -Definately- worse than an overcharging hangover." The Wrecker Daredevil wobbles about a bit, then growls as he decides to not take his chances with wild shots when he can't see straight. Instead he breaks into an uneasy run towards Menosar, only to halfway through transform. Revving the throttle to max and opening his exhausts fully, he blasts towards the largest blurr in his vision, spraying snow and ice all over the place behind him in a big blanket of white. Either it'll blind the behemoth, give the bunker a chill, or decrease the chances of friendly fire if it keeps someone else from seeing so well for a bit. It's still safer than firing off heavier weaponry! Astrotrain says, "THERE YOU ARE YOU LITTLE LEPRECHAUN!" Astrotrain says, "IMMA CATCH YOU!" Combat: Sandstorm sets his defense level to Guarded. With a quick flip and the roar of an engine, Sandstorm takes off in dunebuggy mode, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Combat: Combat Dunebuggy 's Whiteout Conditions attack on Modified HAARP Array goes wild! Combat: Combat Dunebuggy misses Whirl with his Whiteout Conditions Area attack! Combat: Combat Dunebuggy 's Whiteout Conditions attack on Menasor goes wild! Combat: Combat Dunebuggy misses Whirl with his Whiteout Conditions Area attack! Roadbuster struggles to lift his bulk up off the ground, and he feels delicate internal components, already damaged from Menasor's sword, crumble under the strain. But even that won't stop Roadbuster from doing his job. He lifts himself up, in time to see Menasor moving towards the core of his high-tech facility. "Stop him before he activates the device!" He shouts, but his warning falls on deaf audios as the mysterious waves of energy wash over the Wrecker's frame. Roadbuster's shoulder's slump, and his rifle falls from his grip. He looks around aimlessly, as gunfire rings out around him and giant robots run amok. He doesnt' know what's going on, but his battle computer kicks in, the tall Wrecker reaching for his pistol, automatically seeking out his next target as the sounds of war encite him to action. He doesn't know who's who, but he knows he has to /fight/, fight or die, so he opens fire recklessly. Combat: Roadbuster's Gauss Pistol attack on Menasor goes wild! Combat: Roadbuster strikes Whirl with his Gauss Pistol attack! Whirl flings up his arms as waves of energy wash over him. Once the effect seems over he lowers his arms slowly, looking around. Then he looks around again, touching his 'face' with a pincer, flicking his optic off and then on as he resets his visual sensors. Wild attacks miss him, and something else hits. Painfully. "Hey come on!" Whirl wails plaintively. "If nobody can see straight why's everyone still shooting?!" After a second he shrugs and fires off his weapon again, seemingly shooting randomly at the air. "Well, why not?" Combat: Whirl's Laser attack on Modified HAARP Array goes wild! Combat: Whirl misses Combat Dunebuggy with his Laser attack! Whoomph! The massive energy waves wash over the combatants, nipping at Fusillade's ailerons as she guns her engines to pull clear of the attack. As the plasma arcs and begins to flood the skies with magenta, chartreuse, and celadon wonder, Fusillade grunts as she catches a brief glimpse of Menasor baring the particle accelerator. "Oh, hello, that looks delicious. And explodable," as she runs a quick systems diagnostic. Her voice pitches upward into a girly squeal of terror as everyone's attacks start firing wildly though, from circuits getting overloaded. "GAHHHHHHH if I have to die I am going to DIE HAPPY DOING WHAT I LOVE! AHH! GAHHHHHH!" Fusillade rains down even more 500-ln Mark 82s like party favors. Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer misses Menasor with her Bombs Area attack! Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer strikes Modified HAARP Array with her Bombs Area attack! Modified HAARP Array [ TACS Object: Modified HAARP Array ] = Tell a friendly administrator to set my OBJ_DESC attribute! ---- This is a weapon object, see '+help WeaponObject' for more info Usage Restriction: None Can You Use It?: Yes Ammunition: None Required Energon: 500 Endurance: 7 / 102 Mode: 1 of 1 (Unknown) [ TACS Weapon Object #9962 ] Fusillade says, "GAHHHHHHH if I have to die I am going to DIE HAPPY DOING WHAT I LOVE INSTEAD OF SITTIN GMY MY QUARTERS LIKE A SAD SACK! AHH! GAHHHHHH!" Astrotrain seems to have finally gotten his wits back, "...I'm going to beat Motormaster within an inch of his life. And then I'm gonna kick him the rest of the way!" Astrotrain says, "And I might use you as a club, you birdbrain! YOU SHOT ME!" Menasor is released from the scalar nexus by the failing of the array's power source as Fusillade bombs it. The charge already built up in the antennae is released, the aurora touching the ground and searing the land with strange energies. Trees and grass flash into ash, rocks twist into weird artifacts, drawn by otherdimensional vortices. A tiny ball of blindingly intense white light appears at the center of the maelstrom, whirling and flashing like a pulsar. Menasor, lying on his back among the array, reaches up to try to grasp it- he can't. It disappears with a crack which sucks his hand into a point the size of the end of a knitting needle, flexing the terrain like the surface of a struck drum with a sound so loud that Menasor's wordless cry of rage is drowned out by the escape of the energies he had hoped to master. Former Senator Americon says, "...what? But you were... AstroLenin!" Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Space-Going B-1R Lancer goes wild! Combat: Menasor misses Americon with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Whirl goes wild! Combat: Menasor misses Astrotrain with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Roadbuster goes wild! Combat: Menasor misses Astrotrain with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Combat Dunebuggy goes wild! Combat: Menasor misses Astrotrain with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Americon goes wild! Combat: Menasor strikes Astrotrain with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Astrotrain goes wild! Combat: Menasor strikes himself with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: You took 17 damage. Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Menasor goes wild! Combat: Menasor strikes himself with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Combat: You took 25 damage. Combat: Menasor's Scalar Singularity Event attack on Modified HAARP Array goes wild! Combat: Menasor misses Americon with his Scalar Singularity Event Area attack! -4 Astrotrain says, "And I'm gonna get all Gulag on yer tailfeathers in a sec! Shoot Menasor or his toy already! I'm tired of this drek and I wanna get to the fun part, reminding Motormaster why he's...*BZRT*" Astrotrain says, "...I'm gonna KILL HIM." Former Senator Americon says, "Woah, Astrotrain, you ok dawg?" Astrotrain says, "Kill him kill him kill him kill him..." Fusillade says, "Workin' on it" Americon transforms and launches himself up and clear of the Scalar energies which sweep out from the berserk device, sparing him more hallucinations. He strikes down towards the HAARP array and fires a barrage of rockets at it. "Sorry, Menasor, but I do not want another trip to crazy crazy land!" Americon's robot legs pop out metallic feather-like objects as they and his lower torso split apart, also revealing an eagle head. The arms and robot head join the main body, and his guns convert into tail feathers and rocket launchers. Americon is now a bald eagle! Robotic Bald Eagle then watches as the entire thing then vanishes! "OH! Er, nevermind, I'll blast you instead, Menasor!" And he fires a seismic torpedo at Menasor! Astrotrain is totally gone for those few seconds, rambling incoherantly, spewing random lyrics and going on about that damned leprechaun. Up until Americon's stray bolt slams into the side of his head and knocks him flat onto his rear for a moment. Good thing the triplechanger is big, burly and sturdy, right? "GnnnnuuraghSNAP!" And just like that, he's back in the 'here and now', shaking his head to get out the cobwebs as he blindly gropes for his nearby rifle. And just like that, in a wave of destructive warping powers, he is sent hurtling through the air again! Somehow, miraculously, he manages to survive it, on account of being sturdy, but also on account of some last second wrenching in mid-air that pulls himself down to the ground so that he's taking cover form the worst of it. That could have been really...really...REALLY bad, couldn't it? When it's all said and done, he's picking himself up again, and something dangerous has come across his vision. "...fine. FRAGGIN FINE THEN!" And with that, he transforms, lifting his arms and coming down with a heavy *TOOM* of impact on his eight huge steel wheels. Sparks and bits of sheel metal fall off of his sides, he's not seeing all that well, his aim really all that good right now. But he doesn't care anymore. "This one ain't for empire, for Galvatron or anythin..." he snarls, his boiler giving a low rumble as he suddenly EXPLODES forward in a rocket-booster assisted blast of acceleration. "THIS IS ALL FOR ME!" Like a speeding bullet, he hurtles straight towards Menasor with enough force behind his train form that's managed to knock gestalts over before! But there's one catch this time, as he hits a convenient rise in the earth and actually becomes AIRBORNE! Sailing straight for Menasor's face. "BAD DOG! SIT STAY!" Armor locks in place, parts shift and Astrotrain transforms into a huge armored train! Combat: Armored Locomotive sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Armored Locomotive strikes Menasor with his Locomotive TO THE FACE! attack! Combat: You took 7 damage. Combat: Robotic Bald Eagle misses Menasor with his Seismic Anti-Giant Torpedo attack! As if having his mind wiped in the middle of a battle wasnt' bad enough, Roadbuster's addled systems now have to contend with the ground itslf playing havoc as the ground bucks beneath him like an ornery bronco. The rumbling ground and exploding trees shakes Roadbuster to his knees, but it seems to have straightened out his misbehaving curcuits. His optic band flickers then lights up fully as the fog clears from his mind. "Wreckers! Time to take that combiner down, and down HARD! Focus fire, give him all you've got!" The battered Wrecker flops over into his jeep mode, and scans Menasor for weaknesses, his systems highlighting the various holes in the gestalt's damaged armor, and shunting the data along to his fellow deluxxxe Wrecker, Whirl! Roadbuster collapses into his road-bustin' jeep mode. Combat: Roadbuster analyzes Menasor for weaknesses Whirl can exploit. Combat Dunebuggy swerves, veers, and eventually skids out into a couple of wild 360s when he hits a patch of extra slick ice, but the upside being it all avoids the lasers blowing holes in the terrain around him.... And ends up in a snowbank. FWOOMP! Snow flies, but being briefly covered does no damage to him, and it's only the snow and ice tossed about from his crazy driving that gets sucked into the implosion instead. A muffled transformation sound later and the Wrecker bursts back out of the snow, having completely missed the massive light show, shaking the white stuff off of himself. Instead he just sees the remains of the devestating final eruption, emitting a low whistle from his metallic lips. "Dude.. place looks worse than the last time Broadside drank heated energon and vented super hot exhaust fumes." Enough reminesing, back to the business at hand. Well, at least until he sees the Decepticons dogpiling on the gestalt, and decides against getting too close to that when Astrotrain goes screaming by on a collision course. "Y'know, as much as I love watching Decepticons get into a domenstic squabble, leave some for the rest of us!" Lot of people already going for the face, so he arms his blaster and he moves to the side a bit, and tries to aim a blast of ballistic silicate at one of the connection joints in Menasor's legs instead. Combat: Combat Dunebuggy sets his defense level to Fearless. Whirl shakes his head one more time to clear it - as if that helps. But once he starts recieving targetting data, he emits a pleased sound. "It's not even my creation day!" Leaping into the air, Whirl does a quick backflip into a transformation, then immediately blurs his rotors into motion. They claw at the air and take his weight just before his landing skids set down, and Whirl lifts off, headed towards Menasor. "Eat some of this!" he crows, firing a series of incendiary shells, one from each of his quad cannons. With a lightning fast flip and twist, Sandstorm lands in his robot mode, ready for action. Whirl transforms into his crazy 'copter mode. Combat: VH-64 Gazette strikes Menasor with his Incendiary Shell attack! Combat: You took 29 damage. Combat: VH-64 Gazette 's attack has damaged your Agility! Combat: Sandstorm strikes Menasor with his Sand gets in the MOST ANNOYING places attack! -1 Combat: You took 4 damage. Combat: Sandstorm's attack has damaged your Agility! Wreathed in an aura of ionized oxygen, Fusillade hovers briefly on maneuvering rockets, whistling softly to herself as Astrotrain hauls off and railroads the gestalt. Still feeling confident about the invenontry in her own stores, <> Combat: Space-Going B-1R Lancer takes extra time to steady herself. Pass Menasor staggers to his feet, clutching his head with his remaining hand, lightning crackling across his surface. "MY WILL IS STRONG. I CAN MASTER THE... THE VOICES. MY MIND IS SOUND. I CAN SILENCE... NO! YOU WILL BE SILENT! ALL OF YOU SILENT!" He grasps blindly for his sword, but it isn't within reach- the electromagnetic shockwave hurled it into a mountainside miles away. "I CAN... STILL KILL YOU ALL," he groans, reaching out to try to crush Americon. But before he can reach him, his arm detaches and hits the ground running, Breakdown fleeing as fast as his legs can carry him while screaming in a shrill voice of terror. Menasor tries to club Astrotrain with his other arm, but it also detaches, Wildrider driving away across the cracked and blasted plain. Falling to his knees, Menasor catches Astrotrain's cowcatcher to the jaw and tumbles backwards, both his legs tearing themselves free and scrambling away as Drag Strip and Dead End. "I CAN STILL..." protests the torso, straining on the stumps of his limb connectors, but his voice is slow and grating. The destruction of the field so close to his head has affected him somehow. With a low and resonating moan he tumbles forward onto his face and transforms back into Motormaster, who lies there in a daze, looking semi-conscious. Combat: Motormaster dissolves Menasor. Combat: Menasor dissolves into its component Stunticons. Menasor has left. Armored Locomotive lands with all the gracefulness of a hundred ton locomotive that just collided with an even bigger and heavier target. That is to say, not gracefully at all, as his nose plows into the ground and digs up a deep furrow. But it doesn't stop him in the least, as he's already transforming again and rising up, rifle in hand again and coughing up a fit as the swirling dust and dirt gets into his air intakes for a few seconds before he can clear it. "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!" He snarls at the other Stunticons as they scatter in all directions. "That's FRAGGIN RIGHT!" He spins around in place, watching them flee. "Keep runnin you fraggers, but it ain't gonna change anythin, cause you're comin back with all of us!" He's completely oblivious to the fact that the other Stunticons may have been unwilling participants in the whole thing. Or more accurately, he probably doesn't care, at all, as he turns and shifts his gaze towards another figure lying nearby. And just like that, a shadow falls over Motormaster's downed form, as Astrotrain's battered, beaten but still VERY upright and fight-ready hulk looms over him, rifle in both hands. "Well hello there princess." He says far....FAR too sweetly, lunging out with one big blocky foot to boot the Stunticon leader over onto his back, then pinning it onto his chest to hold him in place as he proceeds to slam the butt of his rifle down again and again and AGAIN at Motormaster's face. "THIS!" *WHACK* "IS WHAT..." *WHACK* "BAD LITTLE BOYS..." *WHACK* "...DESERVE!! DO YOU THINK I LIKE HITTING YOU!? CAUSE I REALLY DO!" In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode. Combat: Astrotrain strikes Motormaster with his Beaten like a redheaded stepchild attack! Combat: Astrotrain (Astrotrain) used "Zord-Sword": A Level 4 MELEE attack. Combat: You took 11 damage. Combat: Astrotrain's attack has damaged your Accuracy! Sandstorm twirls his blaster in his hand before stuffing it back into subspace. Ponders just what to do next, while watching Astrotrain get up and start smacking Motormaster around with the blunt end of his rifle. "I never thought I'd be doing this, but..." He puts both hands to his mouth and shouts as loudly as he can. "ATTA BOY ASTROTRAIN, BITCHSLAP 'IM LIKE YA OWN 'IM!" Combat: Sandstorm takes extra time to steady himself. Pass The sleek bomber rears up, wings collapsing onto hips even as the rear fuselage splits to form arms. The horizontal stabilizer slides up, the forward fuselage folds up accordian style, and Fusillade hops up on thrustered feet. And then who should swoop down to Motormaster's rescue? Americon! He flaps down beside the fallen Stunticon's head, raising up his wings as if trying to shield Motormaster's face. "Wait, Astrotrain! He was crazy, and he tried to kill us all, but he's still a Decepticon! We shouldn't kill him, we should help him! Like, we got psychiatrists or something, right? Anyway, the point is, if you wanna beat on him, then you're gonna have to beat on me, too!" And then he stands there, resolute. Joining Astrotrain in smacking Motormaster around is mighty tempting, but even with Menasor dissolved and the facility destroyed, there's still a crew of armed Decepticons around, and little to gain in engaging them. "Decepticon justice." He says flatly. "I don't think we're needed here anymore, team. He'll get what's coming to him, and worse than we'd ever to ourselves. Fall back." He adds, slowly turning his back on the brutal retribution being delivered upon Motormaster, bending to take up his fallen rifle, and transforming. He revs his engine, and drives off into the sunset. Combat: Hardcore Battlejeep begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from VH-64 Gazette , Fusillade, and Robotic Bald Eagle Air whistles shrilly through Fusillade's wings as she descends like a meteor to the ground. She transforms in a billow of wingblades, and begins to tromp through the wrecked remains of the assembly, thrusters crunching briskly, authoritatively over the mess. Shoulders rising and falling sharply in satisfaction at the widespread destruction around her, she doesn't interfere with Astrotrain's pummelling just quite yet, but does make a point to interpose herself between the continuing drama and the Wreckers' forward line of defense. A brief "Go," is curtly tossed over her shoulder in their direction. She doesn't seem interested in enforcing the edict, though, but instead intently watches Astrotrain, Americon, and Motormaster, as if judging just when to stop the festivities. Motormaster only tries to fend Astrotrain off instead of fighting back, pulling his knees up and covering his face with his blocky arms, blasted and torn all over his body from the damage Menasor took. "I yield, I yield! I give up! Stop it!" He seems shamefully relieved by Americon's interference, nodding his battered face enthusiastically inside its (equally dented) protective hood. "I didn't know what I was doing! I was compelled! The last thing I can remember clearly is waking up from Chromedome's surgery and giving the order to merge! By the axe of Straxus, stop hitting me! It was Autobot treachery! I surrender!" He adds hopefully, after a moment, "Hail Galvatron!" Sandstorm chuckles a bit more to himself, and nods a bit at the radio from Roadbuster. He takes a few steps back, enjoying the show for another moment before he finally jumps up to transform to his helicopter mode and buzz off after the other Wreckers Astrotrain hesitates for juuust a moment when the patriot bird interposes himself in the way, looking like he's quite happy with the idea of beating the bird too. Maybe beating Motormaster -with- the bird for that matter. The fact that Motormaster is yielding with his arms up and calling for mercy has, of course, the expected effect. It makes Astrotrain just want to hit him all that much harder. Still, there's a momen's hesitation there, though not for any sort of noble reasons, as he leans in closer to Motormaster, one hand clamping over Americon's head/beak as if to keep him from saying anything right away. "See, the way I figger it, this is yer lucky day, cause I don't get to decide whether I believe ya or not. If it was up to me I'd beat ya into tinfoil ANYWAY just as payment for my pain and sufferin! But maybe you ain't so lucky, cause it's the BOSS that's gonna decide whether or not he believes ya. And trust me, if he's in a shooty-to-facey cannony mood? I"m gonna be RIGHT THERE front row center." He jerks a thumb at his own chest as if to emphasize, before standing up and turning around, brushing off his shoulders and putting his rifle back into storage. "I'm fraggin done with this place! Let's get the frack outta here already." Combat: Sikorsky S-61R Copter begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from VH-64 Gazette and Robotic Bald Eagle Motormaster picks himself up and tries to salvage his dignity, holding his badly damaged side with one hand as he stands as tall as his limp will allow. "I assure you, Chromedome is entirely to blame. He... suborned me somehow. I'll go peacefully, you don't need to bind me." "You have to carry him back," Fusillade says smoothly to Astrotrain once she's confident that he's administered enough pumelling. "The Wreckers have bailed too, so we don't need to linger here." She spares Motormaster only the most skeptical of glares. "Suborned? Is that like molestation?" "Yes," hisses Motormaster resentfully. VH-64 Gazette veers off after the other departing Autobots. "Are you sure we can't stay a little longer??" He calls after Roadbuster and Sandstorm. "Looks like it's just starting to get good!" Combat: VH-64 Gazette begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit. Robotic Bald Eagle flaps his wings manically as Astrotrain grasps as beak. Damn him, he had more to say! What a jerk! Astrotrain totally did NOT release his hold on Americon the whole time either. He's clutching him in front like some sort of demonic robotic teddy bear knockoff. He glances back over his shoulder as Motormaster answers Fusillade's question, and gives out a loud, "SNRRRRRKBWAHAHAHAHA!" as he transforms again, back to his huge shuttle mode. Luckily for Americon, this deposits him safely inside. Parts spin, components shift and Astrotrain's body grows in size until he is an enormous space shuttle. Astrotrain says, "Bagged and tagged. And of course the rest of the Stunts need to go home. Or be brought home in a bag. I couldn't care less." Motormaster limps painfully aboard Astrotrain, giving Fusillade an ashamed nod. Astrotrain says, "Also, until further notice, I now refer to Motormaster as Princess." Motormaster says, "They'll come in eventually. They can't make it out there without me." Astrotrain says, "Sure thing, Princess." Robotic Bald Eagle naturally sits right down on the pilot's seat, although, what with Astrotrain being enormous in this mode, he looks not unlike a toddler in a grown-up's seat. "Ah, yes, another job well done... in America!" Motormaster says, "Ngh. Thank you for being a /bulk transport,/ Astrotrain." Astrotrain says, "Ohohoho, and with yer fataft it's plenty of bulk, believe me! Save yer gip for the Boss, Motormouth. I'm still hopin for two to one odds he decides to cannon your aft." ---- Autobot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Message: 3/141 Posted Author Dennis the Menasor Sat Jul 31 Sandstorm Sandstorm appears on-screen, smirking and only lightly roughed up, and dripping from melting snow "Sandstorm here!.. ah, sorry about the puddles, guys. It's just a bit of snow and ice melting.. and none of it yellow, I assure you. Anyways! I'm sure all the science geeks noticed something weird happening with Earth's magnetic fields. Roadbuster, Whirl and I tracked the funky lightshows up to Alaska, and found where Menasor had mashed his weather doohicky and the stolen Hadron parts with one of the weather stations there, trying to make the world rip itself apart or something. Astrotrain, Fusillade and Americon showed up too, but fortunately had the sense to not let him blow up a planet their leader wants to conquer and helped." "The freak-ass anomolties made it a bit rough, but hey, ain't nothin' we ain't waded through before. This is why the Wreckers were sent after genius bruiser's aft in the first place!... Well, the Cons did help too. The doomsday device imploded upon itself after it was damaged badly, and Menasor went down moments later..." He pauses, making a twirling motion at the side of his head with one finger and smirks, "I think the magneto-whatever waves started messin' with what Chromey did to him, he started havin' a robo-seizure and his limbs ditched on him. We left while Space Choochoo was busy dealing the Decepticons' own justice out.. and by justice I mean bitchslappin' Motormouth like a two bit grease wench... Not that I would know about such things!... Anyways, Galvatron will probably do worse to him than we ever would, so we vavoomsed while the Cons were busy picking up their wayward pieces." He shifts his hand from his head and holds it out in a thumbs-up instead. "Good work guys. Sandstorm, out!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EPILOGUE: NCC Dungeon The blues and violets that blanket the city darken here, edging into midnight blue and indigo. The suffusing, scintillating light dims, and only scraps and snatches of illumination are available, hinting at forms rather than revealing the truth of structure. Will-o-the-wisp lights flicker in and out, suggesting sparking wires or perhaps the sinister optics of the security cameras. When activated, the translucent turquoise force fields cast more light than anything else. The long shadow-silhouettes of bars fashioned like rib cages are cast on the ground. The filigreed manacles are deceptively slender, but pound for pound, their grasp is far stronger than spider-silk, nigh unbreakable. From the ceiling hang the various tools of torture, perhaps the teeth of an iron maiden here and the cage of a gibbet there. Motormaster sits in his cell, arms crossed behind his knees in sullen silence. Eventually, Motormaster gets a visitor! Is it Galvatron? No! It is a seeker gumby with a trumpet. He stands in front of Motormaster's cell, and gives a few blasts of a trumpet. Then, he declares, "Decepticons, I bring to you, our most glorious leader, the great, the mighty, the invincible, the unstoppable--" THWAM! A purple fist slams into the gumby's face, launching him across the room. "--and the impatient," Galvatron finishes, taking the gumby's place. "In hindsight, perhaps having a herald announce my presence everywhere I go isn't such a good idea after all. But anyway. HELLO Motormaster! I just got done with some minor busywork and with some research I had been doing on our homeworld, and my schedule just openened up enough for me to deal with you! So I suppose the first thing I want to ask is... WHAT IN BLAZES WERE YOU THINKING!?!?" "Nice distance!" Astrotrain can appreciate a good punch, especially on a seeker. It's about all he offers for commentary, standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he oh so casually leans against a far wall, watching the festivities with nothing short of morbid interest. "I... I'm not sure, Galvatron," Motormaster says, shaking his head as if it had something loose in it. "I was not in my right mind. I had my men force Chromedome at gunpoint to improve my brain, to make me faster so that I could compete with the new breed of Autobots. He tricked me! He expanded my perceptions radically and... somehow it subverted me. My frustration at still fighting the Autobots on Earth became an obsession and my mind was whirling with more ideas to 'fix' it than it could hold. I called for a merge, to take some of the burden off and share the ideas with my team, and... then it was all a blur, or a dream." When Galvatron stomps with purpose across the breezeways of Tetrahex, Fusillade rather quickly ditches her repair bay appointment to scramble after the Emperor. She giddily claps her palms together when Galvatron does indeed barrel into the dungeon. "Oooh, I've gotta see this!" she murmurs in a stage whisper. She lingers a few paces inside the threshold, pausing as she catches sight of Astrotrain. "You could have put more details into the report," she needles the triplechanger. Dirge walks into the dungeon area slowly, sending rhythmic clanks echoing through the chamber. The tip of his halberd drags across the metal floor, causing a high-pitched scraping, squealing sound to fill the gaps between his footfalls. "Motormaster," he hisses softly, "my.. old.. friend. What have you brought down upon your own house?" Motormaster isn't the only one of the Stunticons present at this point in time. Dead End, eternal pessimest, is there as well, looking his usual, dour self. For the most part, he knew this was coming. It was inevitable, and things always happen this way. If anything, though, Dead End could potentially shove most, if not all of, the blame on Motormaster. It is the least the Stunticon could do. "Yeah, but it all ended up the same way it always does, and will end in the end." Galvatron casually remarks to Astrotrain, "Of course it was. I had plenty of practice," he growls, recalling the many times he has had to beat Starscream down. "Really, Motormaster," Galvatron continues. "The Terrans have a saying: 'Cool story, bro.' In other words, I DON'T BUY IT!" He pokes a finger into the cell at Motormaster. "I think your REAL desire was not to become smarter than the Autobots, but to become smarter than ME! Well, you certainly suffered for your hubris, didn't you? For NO ONE can possibly rival MY intellect without their minds melting into slag!" "Ya want fine details ya get a professor type to write it." Astrotrain dismissively waves a hand in Fusillade's direction as he speaks lowly, watching the confrontation taking place. He may be biased, but he's of course hoping for a little more violence on the Stunticon leader, on account of a personal desire to see some pain dished out on him. That or he's just really mean spirited. Or really it's just both. Which makes it worse. Backfire follows the bunch into the Dungeon, only trying his hand at a stealthy and unannounced entrance. While not exactly character for the Seeker artard, he wasn't exactly in Galvatron's good graces as is. And speaking up now, during another Decepticon's humiliation ... might only add to his own. "Well, he always has a big head, thinking he is all that. I wouldn't be surprised if that was his true purpose in mind. Not like he hasn't had thoughts of being the King before," Dead End said. The marroon one kept himself a bit off to the side and away, because as fatalistic as he might be, he also knew that his end would come at a much later date if he was careful. Motormaster holds up his hands in protest. "No! Galvatron, intelligence wasn't even really my concern. I'm smart enough already. I have cunning, which usually serves me just fine. I wanted SPEED. I wanted to think FAST, to react fast, to strike fast. Whenever I fight this young new Prime it feels like I'm wading through cyberswamps. He's everywhere around me at once and I can't lay a hand on him. I... perhaps I didn't realize what would happen, and Chromedome only did what I said, and the results were more than I expected. Outdoing you was not my plan." Astrotrain comments offhandedly, "So this Prime is faster than him. And the -last- Prime was tougher and stronger than him." He headtilts in Fusillade's direction. "Sucks to be him don't it?" Fusillade rumbles something grumpy and incoherent at Astrotrain, before she begins to brainstorm supplemental report material. She rocks back on her heels, glancing askance at Astrotrain. "You're quite nimble for your size, so that's not something you have to worry about. I suspect there's some weird rivalry that Motormaster used to have with the other semi that he's just not getting from the replacement Prime. Been to Six Lasers yet, by the way?" Galvatron begins to pace around in front of the cell. "Oh!?? Well, Dead End seems to think that my hypothesis isn't out of the realm of possibility! And besides, even if your story is true, it still gives me cause for aggravation, as Rodimus Prime is MINE to destroy!!!" He clenches his fist, cheeks twitching. "'King of the Road.' I AM THE KING OF EVERYTHING!!!" He shakes with anger, then snaps towards the wayward Stunticon. "But I think I know what to do with you!" He opens Motormaster's cell, then, and no, he doesn't use a key, he just rips the bars right off and chucks them over his shoulder, heedless of whether or not he hits a Decepticon. Then he turns and snarls, "I want you gawkers to get me three things: A giant chalkboard, some chalk, and some napalm. And I need it within five minutes! GO!" Astrotrain blinks, then immediately does the underhanded thing. He claims the easy one. "I GOT THE NAPALM!" And he's gone at a run! Dirge comes to a halt nearby the cell, but not getting between Galvatron and Motormaster. As he stops, he flips the halberd around and plants the butt end against the floor, standing there like he's a guard for the Vatican. "Who is the mightier, Lord Galvatron? The strongest and quickest, or the one who commands that one's loyalty?" Backfire is caught off guard, looking around bumbling. "Lord Galvatron, giant.. huh?" Perplexed and quite possibly more dumbfounded than he's ever been, he quickly follows suit after Astrotrain's example. "One order of chalk, for the EMPIRE!" he cries out, running at full speed. Fusillade pivots on her ankles, uttering an 'ow' as a bent bar fragment clonks off her helmet. She smiles too sweetly at Astrotrain's back as he bolts off. Turning to Galvatron, sh promptly bares chest as she rummages around inside her subspace compartment. With a faint 'ah', she produces several suspicious looking blue-green, ridged canisters, and plunks them down at his feet. Dead End doesn't need to be told twice. Nope. He transforms and bolts out of the room for now, speeding as fast as he can, trying to find one of the three objects that Galvatron demands. He's bound to find one of the objects that is needed, or at least, a reasonable substitute. Motormaster cringes against the wall as bars clang off of his battered and scorched armor. "Dead End is as treacherous as he is pessimistic, Galvatron! No doubt he's still angry at me for subjecting him to Menasor's madness! I wouldn't listen to his misleading jabber." Galvatron smirks at Dirge. "Of course, the one who commands the loyalty of the strongest and quickest is the mightiest, but in the Decepticons, the leader must be both, or if he is not, he will be replaced. That is also why I must keep watch for those who try to "upgrade" themselves to the point where they think they can challenge me--and then crush them! Only too late do they realize they have no hope of competing with me!" He snaps back towards Motormaster. "SILENCE! You form the primary component of Menasor, and if I understand it correctly, it was YOUR personality that was primarily driving him forward! It doesn't matter, however... once I get my chalk, chalkboard, and napalm within the remaining two minutes allotted to my Decepticons, the result will be the same!" He turns, spying the canisters dropped by Fusillade. "Well! Don't suppose you've got a chalkboard in there, too, do you?" Motormaster grits his teeth but can't argue with that. He is by far the greater part of Menasor- his domineering, overpowering personality is the only reason Menasor works at all. "Yes, Lord." Motormaster decides to keep it brief for now. Midway through the process of stacking the canisters, Fusillade frowns as Galvatron queries regarding the chalkboard. "Not... yet," she anxiously steeples hands and her fingertips together, before she begins to exit for the chalkboard. Dirge mutters, "Hrnnh.." and stalks out to find a chalkboard, so that Galvatron can go all Glenn Beck on Motormaster. Dead End doesn't mislead. Nope. He is telling the truth... at least as it maintains to harming Motormaster and getting payback for the madness that he subjected the pessimist to. He does, eventually, manage to drive back into the room, dragging a calkboard with him. "I found it in one of the scientist's labs. Something about having no clue what it was used for." Dirge stops as Dead End drags in the chalk board, then mutters, "Hrnnh.." and walks back to where he was earlier. Backfire comes dashing back into the dungeon, oversized box of chalk in tow and happy as all get out expression on his face. "Lord Galvatron, Lord Galvatron! The Chal.." he starts to shout, trailing when he trips over his own two feet. Skidding across the floor, his face is down and scraping *SKRRRRR* against the ground. But for all his ineffectiveness, the Seeker manages to keep the box of chalk held up over his head and out of harms way. He comes to a stop right before Galvatron, "Mlorde Malvatrongg, chtalkc!" Backfire tries to cry out ... despite a face full of granite. Galvatron plants a boot on Backfire's head as he stoops over to take the chalk. "Well done, everyone! You just barely managed to get everything I need within the allotted time. Now, here's what I want you to do, Motormaster," Galvatron says as he puts the box of chalk on the chalkboard, then picks up a canister of napalm. "I want you to write, 'I will not allow Autobots to perform experiments on my brain,' up on the chalkboard precisely one thousand times. You must spell each sentence correctly, or you'll have to start over! Oh, and you'll have to do it... WHILE ON FIRE!" He rips open the canister, and splashes the contents onto Motormaster. "Get to it! Oh, and... someone got a light?" he says with an evil grin. Motormaster's competitive nature kicks in and he snatches up the chalk and starts writing. He's got no book-learning, it's true, but he can write perfectly well. Mostly he's trying to get it written down as many times as he can before someone finds a match. "Oops," he grunts, frustrated, as he breaks the chalk and has to get another piece. Backfire sparks a flame from his palm, green like his Energon. "Here, Lord Galvatron!" he smiles, finally dug his face from the floor enough to speak. Dirge takes about three steps out of the line of fire, then two more away from the napalm tanks. Even so, he stares at Backfire, waiting. Dead End keeps his distance as well. He doesn't want to spend eternity, or at least the rest of his life, on fire. Galvatron nods at Backfire. "Very good, Backfire, but it might work better if you applied the flame to HIM! Like SO..." He grasps Backfire's arm and then forces it to touch Motormaster's napalm covered body, causing him to go up in flames immediately. Of course, Backfire will probably get a little burned, too! "Well, there we go!" Galvatron says, releasing the Seeker. "Good luck Motormaster! Hmhmhm!" And he smirks as he watches the Stunticon go to work. Fusillade recoils slightly once Galvatron ignites Motormaster, then chortles in delight. She quickly leans away, looking outside eagerly to see if Astrotrain has returned yet. "He's missing the good part!" Dead End watches some, pulling out a can of polish, a rag, and starts polishing himself in the light coming off of Motormaster's flaming body. "Rrrgh! Your sentence is just, Lord!" Motormaster's paint peels off under the flames, but then he did need another paintjob anyhow. He does his best to keep writing in a steady way, but smoke and fire keeps getting in the way. "Ah, Galvatron, the... ngh! The chalkboard is catching on fire!" "AIIIIIIIIIIIE!" Backfire cries out, first being mech-handled by Galvatron. Then again, when he's inadvertantly lit on fire as well. The Seeker simpleton rises, running around the room like a human torch ... flame slowly growing up his arm. And right into Dead End, and his polish. Falling backwards, Backfire rolls around on the ground. "Stop, drop, and roll! Stop, drop, and roll!" Galvatron shrugs in a non-chalant manner. "The chalkboard's burning, too? Oh, well... hm... I know!" He walks over to an emergency fire extinguisher--they keep them here in case a torturer goes a little too far--and plucks it off the wall before handing it to Motormaster. "Use this to put the blackboard out... but not yourself, of course!" It amuses him to think that Motormaster could have salvation so close at hand, but be forbidden from using it. Dead End, polished a bit, is, quite suddenly, slammed into Backfire who is, on fire. This in turn, sets Dead End on fire. He responds as such. "It was going to happen eventually..." he said, calmly before he goes and takes the fire extinguisher. He looks at it, then at the growing part of himself that is catching fire, and comes to one conclusion. Dead End sets the fire extinguisher down, and then falls onto the floor, rolling around like Backfire. "Get off! Get it off!" Motormaster sprays down the chalkboard, grimacing at the licking flames... but when he's wiped off the fire-retardant foam from the surface he realizes that it's also wiped off most of his writing! Now he has to start over! And he's still on fire! "Nooo! Damn you, fire-retardant foam! Arrrgh" Fusillade backs away. "I, uh... need to finish adding to Astrotrain's report," she blurts out before zipping away! Galvatron just laughs uproariously at Motormaster's predicament. "Oh... yes, it's good to be me," he says, a crooked grin on his mug before the scene fades to the credit sequence.